The University of Wisconsin’s late defensive lapses forced them to grind out an extra five minutes on a road against a team it suddenly gave a large helping of momentum to. That same defense, eventually, came around to shut the door.
Forced to recover after giving away a late lead in regulation, the Badgers made two critical steals in the closing seconds to register a 78-75 overtime victory over Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday.
Forward Steven Crowl hit the big bucket, a hook shot that barely beat the shot clock with 47.5 seconds left in overtime, but Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl each had one of Wisconsin’s season-high 12 steals down the stretch in the first overtime between the border rivals since 2013.
As a result, Wisconsin (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten), joined No.4 Purdue as the only conference teams to win a pair of early Big Ten games. Four UW players reached double figures – led by Wahl’s 21 points and 7 rebounds - with another two scoring at least seven points.
Remarkably, the Badgers did most of their damage without the three-point bucket. Although Wahl and Jordan Davis each hit a pair of game-tying three-pointers in overtime (even bigger considering the two were a combined 11-for-47 from the perimeter entering the game), the Badgers were just 6-for-22 from the outside.
However, the Badgers took advantage of Iowa's leading scorer and rebounder Kris Murray (19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) out with a foot injury by scoring a season-best 52 points in the paint.
The Badgers were in great possession to salt away the victory in regulation until Iowa (7-3, 0-1) rattled off an 8-0 run in 45 seconds on three crushing shots: a three-point play from Connor McCaffery, a second-chance layup from Tony Perkins on a well-designed inbound play and Connor Essegian getting stripped of the ball and Patrick McCaffery hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 60. Hepburn’s game-winning fadeaway was too strong to force the extra session.
While UW’s defense took time to find its groove in overtime, its offense did not. The Badgers were 6-for-7 from the floor in overtime and finished the game shooting 50.8 percent.
What it means: Wisconsin continues to make it interesting, playing its seventh game in a row decided by five points or less. The Badgers have won their last three, including a pair of vitally-important Big Ten games.
Star of the game: Patrick McCaffery had a career-high 24 points and looked like he was willing his team to a victory with his big shot at the end of regulation and his play in overtime, but Wahl scored seven of his team’s 18 points in overtime, none bigger than when he hit his third three-pointer of the season to tie the game with 1:54 left in overtime.
Stat of the game: The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten scoring an average of 82.4 points per game, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor. Even with the extra five minutes, the Badgers held them under their average on 42.2 percent shooting.
Reason to be Concerned: These close games can’t be good on the health of the elderly.
Don’t overlook: Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery’s mouth might have cost his team a chance to win in regulation when he was served a technical with 4:13 remaining in regulation. Instead of a one-possession game, Essegian made both free throws to put UW up 57-52.
What’s next: Wisconsin begins its longest homestand of the season (four games) when it hosts Lehigh Thursday night (6 p.m./Big Ten Network). Guard Evan Taylor leads the Mountain Hawks (4-4) in points (13.5), rebounds (5.5), and blocks (0.6), while fellow guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney is shooting 47.6 percent from three-point range. UW has never played Lehigh and is 7-0 against the Patriot League, most recently beating Colgate in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
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